The Rekindling
by Otaku No Phantom
Summary: Bulma receives a telephone call one night, and is supposed to meet someone at Korin's Tower...who is the mysterious meeting with? Will an old love come back to life, or is Bulma going to stay a single mom forever? [Alternate Universe Twist]
1. The Phone Call And The Tower

The Rekindling

By Otaku No Phantom

Chapter One: The Phone Call And The Tower

I remember the first time I met Vegeta. He pushed me in the mud, and, instead of crying, like every bully expected the kid they pushed to do, I grabbed his leg as he was walking away, and he fell in the mud too. So the kindergarten teacher had two very muddy, very stubborn five-year-olds to clean up, and explain to two sets of parents why their children were wearing clothes from the lost-and-found bin.

But that was a long time ago. Ouji and I don't talk any more, not since…then.

Now, I'm on my own, as a single mother, raising my fifteen-year-old son, trying to provide for the both of us, and occasionally dating here and there, only to find out that my new bow was just another gold digger after the legendary Briefs Millions. Life isn't exactly a bowl of cherries, but I found out long ago that just because everything isn't the way you want it to be, it doesn't mean some things won't work out, and maybe make a change for the better. One of the lessons I learnt when Trunks was teaching himself to crawl—he always got rug burn on his knees, or fell on his face…but pretty soon he was going faster than I could clean the messes up after him, and then he was walking. So something good came out of that.

But forget the 'I love living, because nothing's perfect, but lots of things are good,' speech. Everyone has one, I know, so why did I bother with mine? I guess everyone just needs to get that kind of crap out of their system once in their life.

"Mom, I'm home," Trunks walked in the front door of our elaborate household, and turned a corner seeking me out. I was in the kitchen, cutting up vegetables, and he tapped me on the shoulder. When I turned, he handed me a piece of paper. "Can you sign this?" He asked as I took it from him, and began to inspect it.

"What is it?" I didn't want to waste my time skimming through all of the over-employed pleases and thank-yous the teachers at Trunks' public school spewed for every notice that went home.

"Ah, nothing, really." Trunks shoved his hands in his pockets and leaned against the corner. I stopped cutting for a second, faced him, and raised my eyebrows. "The top of the sheet says 'Orange Slip.' What the hell is that supposed to mean to me?" I questioned, slapping the paper down on the counter next to Trunks.

He groaned. "Aw, can you just sign it, Mom?"

"Explain what this 'Orange Slip' is, first."

"Just something the office gives you," Trunks insisted on being vague with the explanation. This couldn't be good, my mother's intuition told me.

"Oh, God, should I just go next door and ask Chi-Chi to sign it for me?" Trunks raised his voice a little, and I sensed his tone changing from impatient to annoyed.

"I bet she'll know what this is, good idea! I'll phone her!" I turned towards the sink, where a phone hung overhead, and reached for the receiver, when it began ringing. I furrowed my eyebrows, confused, and surprised at the timing, and picked up quickly, not waiting for the second ring to show my Caller ID. "Hello?"

"The tower," a hoarse voice told me.

"Excuse me? What the—"

"Korin's Tower!" The voice whispered fiercely, seeming more urgent. Something about it seemed familiar, but I couldn't put my finger on it. No matter, the caller could be anybody, using a voice changer.

"What about it?" I asked.

"Go there, alone. Seven, evening, tomorrow. You'll be watched, don't think I won't know if you bring someone else." The voice sounded like it was in panic, and the tone was urgent enough not to be fake.

"Who is this?" I demanded.

The other line went dead after I heard the user fumble with the receiver on the hook, trying to hang it up properly. Supposedly they were using an old phone…or a pay-phone. Great, so it was untraceable. Damn it…

"Who was that, Mom?" Trunks looked confused.

"I don't know, Trunks. Don't worry about it." I reached over to the phone again, and started dialing Chi-Chi's number to get to the bottom of this 'Orange Slip' business.

"I'm going out now, Trunks, behave, 'kay?" I called into the family room from the coat rack in the foyer.

"Where you going?" My son's voice returned.

"Just out, nowhere special." I decided to play it safe, and not tell anyone about the call to meet at Korin's Tower, just in case they really would know if someone got curious and followed me. I didn't want any trouble.

"Oh, really?" Trunks said. "Sounds interesting, can I come?"

"No," I said firmly. "You're grounded."

"But Mom…it's Friday! The weekend!" Trunks protested.

"Well, you should have thought about that before you went to the office, and brought home an Orange Slip for me yesterday." I replied.

"But—"

"But nothing! No guests, no going places. You can use the phone, okay?" I slipped on my jean jacket, which hung on the closest rung on the coat rack.

"…Fine," Trunks slumped in defeat, and walked sulkily back towards his place on the couch, where he proceeded to watch television.

When I stepped out of the door, a light breeze hit my cheeks, and moved the messily tied back hair on the back of my head. It was one of those warm summer nights…the kind where you can wear a T-shirt outside at night, and you don't feel really cold at all. June…and Trunks was getting restless in school. Hence the office referrals, and Orange Slips…

I started walking towards a Capsule Bus Stop. I sat down on the bench, pushed the red button, and a few minutes later, a robot driving one of West City's finest buses pulled up to the stop. A line of people started to board the bus, dropping tickets and change into the deposit box as they walked by, then picking out seats. I was last to board, and showed my ID to the robotic driver. He processed the numbers on the bar code, nodded at me, and let me past. Being the daughter of the Capsule Bus' inventor helps some times.

I watched buildings, trees, and other cars and buses whiz by on either side of the bus, and waited as patiently as I could for my stop to come. I knew this route well enough, I still visited Korin's Tower sometimes, even though I figured I would never speak to Vegeta again. The other fighters were still my friends, and I'd known most of them before I even knew he existed.

I thought about who'd called me last night. Who could it be? And why would they pick Korin's Tower as the meeting place? Only fighters went there…could it be, that Vegeta wanted to see me again? He wanted to continue the relationship we'd let suffocate, and eventually die over the past ten years? No, couldn't be. He's too damned stubborn to ever want to admit that he was wrong. He and I will never see eye to eye again, and he and I will never speak again.

So, if it wasn't him, who was it? I was fully aware of the chances that it would be someone hoping to kidnap me, and trick Trunks into giving them money from our large vault until they'd milked every drop of treasure from our family, and not even free me in the end, but I was also fully aware that Korin's Tower was full of high-lever fighters trained by the masters of Martial Arts from all over the world, and that they were my friends. They'd never let harm come to me under their own roof.

Here was my stop. I pulled the yellow cord, and the "NEXT STOP' sign lit up neon yellow. The driver sensed the signal, and prepared to pull over at the next boarding stop.

The bus came to a hault in a few seconds, and I stepped off, brushing dirt from the old seat off of me as I walked. I should have driven myself, or gotten a taxi, maybe even my personal driver, but I wanted to be as discreet and secretive about this as possible. If someone I knew saw my car, they might try to catch up to me, and a chauffer, or taxi driver might get curious and follow. So, the bus seemed good enough.

I walked up one street, hung a left at the bent over "Do Not Enter' sign, and came to the small field where there was space for Korin's Tower and Kami Sama's Tower to stand peacefully.

Glancing at my watch, I saw I was a couple minutes early. Would I risk going up to say hello? I'd better not. I walked to the base of the tower, and leaned against the edge. I checked my watch again, and again, then a few more times. These last couple minutes seemed to drag on to no end. As soon as I was about to go up and say hello, when I stood up straight, not using the wall to support myself, I was pushed back by an unknown force. I looked around me, and saw mothing. I checked my watch one more time. Seven o'clock on the dot.

"Good Evening, Bulma." The same voice from the telephone was speaking in my ear.


	2. After Twelve Long Years

The Rekindling

By Otaku No Phantom

Author's Notes: Thanks for the reviews, readers, it sounds to me like those who took the time to write me some comments really enjoyed my first chapter! And an especially big thank-you kiss to Arsenal Tengu, for actually reading! I hope the next chapter keeps you reading!

Chapter Two: After Twelve Long Years

"What the hell is this!" I couldn't move away from where I was back up against Korin's Tower, because of that unseen restraint. I could hardly breathe, but I decided to waste my breath on asking stupid questions anyways. Part of being a stubborn idiot.

"What is what?" The voice asked back. An equally idiotic question, I guess.

I whipped my head in the direction of the voice. Nothing. Nobody. I looked to the other side of me. Still nothing. What the hell is going on? Am I being attacked by an invisible assailant, or what!

"When you see me, you can't run. Understand?" The invisible restraints keeping me stuck to the tower began to wither.

"Yeah," I muttered through the raspy sounds of my heaving lungs, greedily taking in the air around me. I rubbed my now sore arms, and looked around again.

Then, as if from nowhere, he appeared.

"Ouji…' I stared in disbelief at what I saw. It couldn't be him! I told him I would never speak to him again, didn't he understand that when I said it to him twelve years ago when I left with Trunks and our bags? Then again…Vegeta was a stubborn asshole, who'd do anything to get what he wanted. But did this mean he wanted me back, or did he just want Trunks as a training partner, or money, or something? I don't get why he's here, we were through. Well…maybe he'd changed. But if he did, wouldn't he have stayed away like I said to? Or…

"Please." He said quietly, stretching his fingers to my face. He stroked my cheek slowly, as if he'd longed to for the past twelve years.

Was this happening, though? I mean, Vegeta, saying please? Forgive me, but something is screwy here. Vegeta would never say please.

So maybe he has changed?

"Why are you here?" I cut to the first question that had popped into my head.

"I need you…" Vegeta whispered, his hand wandering from my cheek to my neck.

I stepped back. "What's wring with you!" I demanded. He must have been high or something to say something like that. Vegeta was the kind of person who hid his deepest feelings from even someone like…well, like me. Why was he suddenly so open? And what did he mean by he 'needed' me?

"Did I do something wrong?" Vegeta blinked, stopping his hand after I stepped away. It dropped to his side. He looked so…innocent. This was wrong. Vegeta is not an innocent person.

"Yeah!" I started yelling. "About twelve years ago, when you took off with that bitch for a night, cursed at my son, and hit me!" I'd been longing to admit all that for a long time. Trunks never really knew about it, since he was only three at the time, so I had nobody to turn to. I could never tell my parents or my friends what Vegeta had done to me. So, I lied, and said it was simply a mutual agreement to go our separate ways because of our differences.

"Oh," Vegeta looked like he'd just been slapped. He adverted his gaze from me, and nervously watched the ground. "I had hoped you had forgotten about it…or forgiven me."

Oh, bloody hell. I can feel my heart melting on the inside. I wanted to forgive him, I wanted to the second it happened. But I'm too stubborn, and I put my pride first. But right now…God, he's acting so genuinely sorry, I can't stand it!

"I'm sorry…" Vegeta murmured, taking a step towards me to make up for the one I'd taken back.

Sorry! What the—oh, damn it. Am I crying?

Yep. The hot tears were running down my face like a river that had been dammed up all this time we were apart. I started to sob loudly, and found myself falling forwards, and landing in Vegeta's arms.

He was stroking my hair, so gently, and carelessly, even though I knew he was fighting back his strengths, being so careful not to hurt me. It still felt like he was doing it so effortlessly…like he wasn't strong at all.

I'd lost control of myself at this point. I was crying, and clinging to Vegeta so tightly, I don't think anything could pry me away from him. But something still felt wrong…

"Vegeta?" I rubbed my eye with a closed fist, shoving away the tears.

"Yes?"

"Why does this not feel real?'

"I don't know."

"Why are you acting so differently?" I looked him in the eye.

"Probably because I'm not who I was before. In fact, I'm not who I was yesterday, even."

"What?" He was starting to confuse me, big time. Vegeta wasn't making any sense at all.

"I'm not who you think I am," Vegeta stated.

"I don't understand." Je ne comprends pas! JE NE—

"I'm not Vegeta."

My eyes widened at this. How could it not be him? He looked exactly like him. It was his body. It was his voice. His eyes…nothing could imitate those eyes. His touch was so…unchanged, what was he talking about? How could he not be Vegeta!

Yet, he kissed me. Right here and now. He just…leaned in, and…

Why are my eyes closing? I'm not kissing back, I can't be! This isn't him, but it is, but it's not…Why am I kissing back!


	3. It Feels Wrong, And Fake

**The Rekindling**

_By Otaku No Phantom_

Chapter three: It Feels Wrong, And Fake

I don't understand what's going on—for the first time in twelve years, I feel loved, really loved, by someone other than Trunks. But why do I feel loved by someone who claimed not to be Vegeta? How can I feel so loved by a complete stranger? This feels so great...and at the same time, so artificial. Like it's not really happening—I must be dreaming, I have to be!It's the only explanation.

I pushed away. "If you're not Vegeta..." I wondered. "Why do you look just like him? And why is it his voice? How come"

"I can't answer those questions." Vegeta stared through me, as if I were a glass wall, and his thoughts wandered to somewhere far away.

"What! You can't do that to me, you've been away for a dozen years! You _have_ to tell me everything! No more lies!" I begged, and began beating my fists, on after the other, at his chest. Vegeta only looked away, and gave a thoughtful glance at the building.

"Why don't we say hello to everyone up in the tower? And we'll have a party back at home. That is...if you're willing to have me back," Vegeta smiled.

He's smiling? Smiling at me? And suggesting..._parties?_ This feels so...weird. Different. This is not Vegeta. I guess he wasn't lying when he said he wasn't himself. "Why should I 'take back' someone who isn't Vegeta?" I questioned. "Are you asking me to invite you into my home, sleep with you, _love you_, when I don't even know who the hell you are inside?"

Vegeta frowned. "It's complicated. I want to tell you everything, but I can't, because" The Saiyan was cut short by a force that made him gasp loudly, and his hands flew to his gut. He cried out in pain, as the force shoved into him again, and again. The prince was at his knees, mumbling pleadings for it to stop. "Stop, stop, stop it!" Vegeta moaned, grasping at his stomach. It was like an unseen assailant was beating him up, or something. I flew to his side, crouching near where he lay, and rested a hand on his shaking shoulder. "What's going on!" I demanded. "Are you ill? I'll call a doctor!" I was alarmed. What could be as powerful as to cause someone as strong as Vegeta pain!

"No, I don't need any doctor...I'm fine." It seemed that the attack had discontinued itself. Vegeta slowly made his way from his knees, to his feet, still holding his gut, but more lightly. He winced one last time, then breathed out heavily, and nodded. "Yes, I'm fine."

"Tell me what happened." I directed, lacing my arms though his, and beginning to walk towards home on the small sidewalk. No sense in using the bus, I had no money with me, and Vegeta wouldn't have a valid ID to get on the transit for free.

"I can't." Vegeta answered, much to my dismay. "If I say anything to you, the attacks will come again." He gave a concerned look to his stomach. I wondered if he was thinking about how much he'd be able to stand of such beatings going on for longer.

I was infuriated, all the same. "You mean you'll be given a penalty, if you tell me the truth!" The Saiyan only nodded. "From who?" I whispered. Did Vegeta have a new enemy with such powers, to do this to him?

"That's part of the truth. I'm sorry." Vegeta shook his head. "Will you take me back anyways?"

I thought about this for a moment. What should I do with a man who looked and sounded exactly like my former husband when he was asking to come home? In all my time as a genius, I had never come across any situation like this...so I didn't have an answer for this. I would have to wing it, this time, and go with my woman's intuition.

"You can stay at my place, until I figure out things." I concluded.

"Thank-you." Another shocking reply from Vegeta. I hated how he wasn't at all like his old self. This new change might not have been for the better, after all. I suppose I would rather cry every night about losing someone I loved so dearly, instead of having him back as a completely different person. Though, I had to admit...the new Vegeta was charming.

"Oh my God! Trunks! You have to meet Trunks!" I suddenly recalled my son never really knowing who his father was.

Vegeta looked up, and there was a new light in his eyes—a twinkle of excitement. "Trunks? My son?" He gave a wide-eyed, hopeful look to me. Vegeta knew Trunks? But he wasn't Vegeta...God.

"Your son?" I asked. "I thought you weren't Vegeta." I stated. "You're confusing me."

"Part of having complications in one's life is confusing the people you love the most." Vegeta told me.

We were home. Our home. This was so strange. "Wait in the doorway until I call you into the main room, alright?" I opened the front door, and slipped off my small shoes hurriedly, leaving the prince in the foyer as I rushed to find my beloved son. "Trunks!" I yelled up the staircase. "Trunks, where are you?"

My answer was a cry from near where I'd left Vegeta. Oh, no, Trunks must have taken the stairway that led straight to the doorway. "Trunks?" I timidly looked behind me, worried about what I'd see.


	4. Father And Son

**The Rekindling**

_By Otaku No Phantom_

Chapter Four: Father And Son

What I saw when I turned around was shocking. I realized that Vegeta was the one who had cried out, and now he was cradling my son's head against his chest, his chest hitching as he silently sobbed over Trunks' backside. "My son, my son, my son..." the Saiyan repeated himself, mumbling the same words over, and over, as if trying to convince himself it was real.

Trunks, on the other hand, was trying to comfort the strange man who had come into his house and starting bawling over him. "Mom, what is he saying? I can't understand him, my ears popped when he yelled." The lavender hair disappeared under Vegeta's head, and the father cried louder. "My son!"

"Mom?" Trunks was probably suffocating, and trying to keep himself from being squeezed to death.

"Trunks..." I slowly whispered. "Trunks, this is your father." A tear came to my eye. It was finally time for my little boy to meet his daddy. This was so...oh, God. To describe it would be like saying what love itself was, this was just...so wonderful, it was beyond comprehension.

My son's eyes widened as he listened to what I said. "He's my—what are you, no, what? Mom?" Trunks looked a little dizzy. Vegeta pulled away, and held his son by the shoulders. "You're my father?" Trunks looked, looked with his innocent, wide, unbelieving eyes, up at the man he had never known, almost all of his life. He had no memories of this man, but I'd told him that he was his father.

Vegeta nodded at Trunks, and Trunks broke into tears. "Why didn't you ever see me?" He cried. "Why didn't I know who you were? _Where_ you were? Why did you go? How come"

"Trunks, I can't answer these questions right now. Your mother might not want you to even know."

There grew a silent understanding in Trunks' eyes. One could only guess what would be so terrible to hide from someone so close. There had been another woman. Some physical pain, a maybe._ Abuse_, Trunks contemplated.

The boy shook it off, and interlaced his fingers in his fathers, holding his hand as if he were a little boy. "C'mon, Dad, let's go out for a walk! Let's be together!"

I hadn't seen Trunks so excited since he was five years old, on his first day of school. And now my little boy was overjoyed to finally meet his daddy, and wanted to spend some time with him. I raised an eyebrow, wondering if the soft, _new, _almost...artificial Vegeta would respond, or if there would be another of the unexplained attacks.

The new Vegeta, obviously, allowed Vegeta to give a large grin. "Sure, son. Where ever you want to go."

I almost dropped my chin to the floor, but remembered that there had been other shocking events that day.

"Can we go see my friend? We can all go to the river, just over there, and throw rocks, skip them! And then we'll get ice cream, lots of ice cream, and come home, and have dinner, and we'll sit up all night and read comics together, and"

"Trunks, Trunks!" I stopped the excited teen. "Slow down, your father isn't superman, he can't do everything all at once. You'll do it all, okay? Just try not to do it all in one minute!" I laughed. I had to practically hold the boy down to keep him from bouncing off the walls, and losing his mind completely.

"Can we do it all, Dad?" There was a gleam in my boy's eyes, a gleam so bright, I felt my heart burst. I loved my little boy so much, and he was so happy, now...this was great. I felt myself flush, and there was a great smile on my own face.

"Will your mother come, too?" Vegeta asked, motioning at me.

"Mom? Well, I guess, if she really want"

"No," I cut Trunks off. "It should be just you and Dad. Besides, who would stay here to cook a big celebration feast?" I returned the glint of the eyes to my boys, _my _boys.

"Great! We'll be back at nine! That's an hour and a half, okay? Make sure to make lots of food for dad and me, okay? Bye mom!" Trunks and Vegeta were out the door in lightning speed, the boy dragging the man out the door, and showing him everything, as if he were a child new to the neighborhood.

* * *

Another short, but sweet chapter! My arm hurts... . I got my vaccination shots yesterday.

Please visit my Pikachu Hunter account for more work by me!

Kai


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